Copper Clear
by michelle1203
Summary: Riza and Roy finally marry and have a baby girl. Everything seems to be going well, until their daughter won't stop crying for a series of nights. Soon, they learn how something so minor can change their lives forever. Royai. No flames
1. Loss

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or FMA: Brotherhood**

This story takes place a bit before the series and will run into the series. I think I will continue this fic. It depends on whether I get reviews or not.

* * *

><p><em>Cries filled the Mustang household for the fourth night that week. Riza lightly bounced the infant in her arms as she paced the floor of the nursery. It was roughly 0100 hours and she couldn't help but to think that her daughter couldn't have picked a better moment to send her mother bolting awake. After all, Riza had only managed to fall asleep an hour ago.<em>

_"Reagan, honey, what's wrong?" She asked._

_Reagan Christine Mustang kicked her legs and squirmed, her face red and scrunched tightly. Overall, she was usually a very happy baby. After finally tying the knot, Roy and Riza conceived and raised her in a very loving home. Roy had a tendency to spoil her, along with her godfather Maes Hughes who doted on her and "couldn't wait to have a daughter as adorable as her with Gracia"._

_Riza wondered momentarily if her husband was hearing any of their daughter's cries, but quickly shook the thought from her mind. Roy was probably lying in their bed with a pillow over his head trying to block out the incessant wails so he could get some rest. Most likely, he mentally kicking himself for not making sure she was deeply asleep. After all, he was the one who had made the first attempt to get Reagan to fall asleep that night. He was successful, but that was an hour ago and it had only granted Riza and Roy an hour of sleep._

_Roy headed down the hallway to the nursery to assist his wife. During the first year and two months of her life, Reagan wasn't this difficult to put down. Even when she got her first tooth, it was easier to make her fall asleep. Neither of he nor Riza could figure out the reason for Reagan's sudden bedtime rebellions. Well, not just bedtime. Their daughter's crying bouts had become much more frequent and seemed to be for no reason at all._

_Riza sat down in a rocking chair and rubbed the infant's back. She had checked Reagan's diaper, tried to get her to fall asleep again, and burped her. She offered her a bottle, burped her, and held her. She'd left her alone. She had given Reagan her favorite teddy bear, Mr. Pookie. Riza removed some of her blankets in case she was hot and gave her more blankets in case she was cold. Nothing seemed to calm Reagan down._

_"Honey, what's wrong?" Riza asked. "What's got you so upset, hmm?"_

_The fourteen-month-old whimpered in response. Riza gently placed a finger inside the baby's mouth, feeling for signs of any new teeth. She sighed a moment later. No new teeth. What was wrong?_

_"I couldn't figure it out either."_

_Riza looked up to see her exhausted husband in the doorway in his boxers. Roy walked into the nursery and stood beside his wife, peering down at the baby in her arms. Reagan's cries were beginning to wind down into whimpers._

_"I was wondering how long it'd take until she cried herself into exhaustion," Roy stroked the baby's hair._

_Riza shook her head, "I don't know what's wrong with her. Do you think she might be in pain?"_

_"Pain?" He considered this for a moment. "Well…it would explain why nothing we're doing will make her stop. Do you think we should take her to the doctor?"_

_"It wouldn't hurt. If it's nothing serious, he'd probably just tell us that she has colic." She gently placed Reagan back in her crib. "I hope it's nothing too serious."_

_Roy placed his arm around her waist, "She'll be okay. I promise."  
><em>

* * *

><p>Riza shook the memory from her mind and focused on the playing baby in front of her. She couldn't believe that that had been a month ago. A month had passed since they had found out that the reason why Reagan wouldn't stop crying was due to a very serious middle ear infection. A month had passed since the doctor told Roy and Riza that the damage the fluid from the infection had caused on their daughter's right middle ear might have caused hearing loss.<p>

Since that month, Reagan's cries filled them with greater concern. Both of them feared that it could be another infection or something much worse.

"Ma-ma!" Reagan babbled.

Riza waved with a smile, "Hi, Reagan!"

Reagan giggled and began to crawl away from mother while babbling on about something Riza didn't understand. It was a calm day in the Mustang household. Roy was filling out paperwork in his study, while Riza sat on the floor of the nursery playing with their daughter.

"Reagan," Riza laughed. "Where are you going, huh?"

Her daughter continued crawling and babbling.

"Reagan."

The baby crawled onward. Riza frowned. Reagan rarely ignored her parents before. She usually recognized Riza's voice or Roy's voice, and would giggle or coo. Before her infection, Reagan had gotten good at saying "ma-ma" or "da-da", and would say it repeatedly whenever they called her name.

Now, despite Riza's calls, Reagan continued to crawl with her back turned to her mom, her path set for the block on the far end of the rug. Deep in her gut, Riza knew what was wrong with her daughter, but part of her didn't want to believe it. She fixed her position so that she was on the baby's left side, and a few inches closer than she was before.

"Reagan, don't you want Mr. Pookie?"

At the sound of her name, Reagan stopped crawling and sat on her bottom. Her small eyebrows furrowed, almost as if she were trying to decide where she'd heard the voice. A second later, Reagan faced her mom. For Riza, that one second felt like an hour.

"Reagan, honey," repeated Riza. "Don't you want Mr. Pookie?"

She watched the fifteen-month-old outstretch her arms and open and close her tiny hands. "Ma-ma, 'ookie!"

"What do you say?" Riza reminded.

"'wease'?"

Riza handed the stuffed bear to Reagan, who happily received it. Her heart sank. Reagan was Deaf in her right ear. If she wasn't Deaf, she certainly had signs of significant hearing loss.

"'ookie…'ookie," Reagan sang, squeezing the bear. "'ookie…ookie."

The 'p' sound was a sound that was difficult for the infant in front of her to make. Roy and Riza had both chalked it up to the fact that she was still young, and hadn't quite figured out how to make that sound. An anxious feeling crept through Riza. Perhaps the reason why Reagan couldn't make the 'p' sound was because of the loss on her right side. Riza shook her head. She needed to talk to her husband before she started to think too deeply about this.

"Roy!" She called. "Can you come in here?"

She heard the sound of his feet on the hard wood floors of his office and the hallway. Riza leaned forward and picked up Reagan, placing her safely in her lap, before raising her eyes to meet her husband's. Roy's brow furrowed at the sight of his wife. To anyone else, she would have appeared fine. Roy, however, knew much better than that.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Riza took a small breath, "Roy, I think Reagan's lost her hearing."

"Do you think it's bilateral or unilateral?"

"Unilateral, it's only on her right side."

He looked from his wife's concerned face to the carefree one of his daughter. Reagan babbled and stuck Mr. Pookie's ear into her mouth. Her dark eyes lifted until they met her father's.

"Da-da!" Reagan giggled, dropping the bear. She lifted her arms and once again made a grabbing motion with her hands. "Da-da, Da-da, Da-da!"

Riza picked her up and placed her in the waiting hands of Roy. While Reagan cooed, he brought her closer to his body. He placed his left arm under her bottom and braced her back with his right hand, before lightly bouncing her. Reagan rested her head against his shoulder, her left ear covered by the fabric of shirt.

"Hey, Rea," Roy patted her back. "What's wrong, huh?"

Reagan yawned.

"Reagan?"

Her eyes were focused on the window, her eyebrows slightly furrowed again. Riza noticed then how much their daughter resembled Roy when she made that face. Roy frowned. He kissed his daughter's head and gently smoothed her soft black hair.

"Reagan."

When she didn't answer again, he felt a pull in his stomach. Riza was right, something was definitely wrong. Roy and Riza made it an important goal to teach Reagan the importance of parental obedience at a young age. Even though she was only fifteen months old, if they called her name, she usually made it known in some way that she had heard them. If they asked her not to touch something or to put something down, she understood. The fact that she wasn't even recognizing that Roy had called her name, let alone the sound of his voice, concerned him.

He stopped bouncing Reagan and adjusted his daughter's position on his shoulder. She turned her head so her right ear rested on his shoulder. The baby girl whined and kicked her legs, signaling Roy that she was either uncomfortable or unhappy with his choice to move her. He shushed her as he rubbed patterns on her back. He shifted his weight from his left to his right, swaying slightly to calm his daughter. Her eyes began to close.

"Reagan," stated Roy.

She opened her eyes and looked up at Roy with wide dark eyes. When he remained silent, she put her back head down. After a moment, Roy spoke up again.

"Rea."

Reagan looked up at her father, extended her arm and tried to grab his hair. Roy intercepted the attempt and she grabbed his finger instead. Opening her mouth, she put his ungloved finger in her mouth. At that moment, Roy wished they hadn't done away with her pacifier. He carefully moved Reagan to her crib. She protested for a moment, but eventually went down without a fight. Roy covered her with a light baby blanket.

"I'm sorry, kid." Roy sighed and faced his wife. "We're going to have to take her to the doctor to make sure, but you're right. If Reagan isn't Deaf in that ear, then she's definitely lost some of her hearing."

"I was hoping that infection wouldn't have damaged her this way," remarked Riza, as she got to her feet.

Roy ruffled his hair, "Same here. Part of me had a feeling that this would happen, but I didn't want to believe it."

"I'll make the appointment in the morning."

He nodded and watched Riza join him next to the crib. The two of them looked down at their daughter. Riza rested her head on her husband's shoulder. Guilt was washing over her. If she had just taken her to the doctor when Reagan first started crying last month, they wouldn't be here right now. If they hadn't chalked it up to colic, their daughter would be fine. If they hadn't-

"Stop it," Roy stated.

Riza looked up at him in alarm, "Stop what?"

"Whatever you're thinking right now, stop it. It's neither of our faults."He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. "We didn't know it was an infection, Riza. It will be fine. Reagan will be fine. She's not an invalid now, she just can't hear in one ear."

Riza took a deep breath and nodded. Roy was right. She pulled away from him slightly, "At least this happened now, while she's still young. As she gets older, it'll be easier for her to get used to it. Her other senses will adapt."

"Exactly. We can handle it. We'll figure it out, Riza. We can help her adapt to the cards she's been dealt," He planted a soft kiss on her lips. "We'll figure it out. Reagan will be okay."

* * *

><p>I hope you liked it so far. Please review and let me know what you think.<p> 


	2. Warm Milk

**Disclaimer: **I only own Reagan.

Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. I know you Havoc lovers will.

* * *

><p>"Reagan, it's time for bed."<p>

"No!"

The naked two-year-old toddled towards the couch and climbed onto the cushions. Jean Havoc sighed and rubbed his eyes. He'd only turned his back for one second to drain the bathtub when he'd heard a squeal. When he turned around, he saw Reagan running into the living room stark naked.

"I'm not asking you, kid. I'm telling you," Havoc walked over to the couch. "It's time for bed."

Reagan squealed, "No!"

When Roy and Riza asked Havoc to watch their daughter while they went on a double date with Hughes and Gracia, he had to admit that he thought it'd be much easier. Reagan's parents conveniently forgot to mention that, with her recent birthday, their once little angel had a strong case of the Terrible Twos. They also forgot to mention that Reagan had learned a new favorite word: no.

"Stop squealing," Havoc warned.

"No!" giggled Reagan.

He looked at the clock, "Reagan, your parents wanted you in bed at 1830 hours, 1900 at the latest. It's past your bedtime, kid."

She remained silent and raised her head to look at him, her eyebrows knitted together. Roy and Riza were helping Reagan with her hearing limitations on her right. She had gotten better over the months, but there were still moments when Reagan didn't hear or didn't understand what the adults were staying to her. Havoc crouched down to her level and repeated his previous statement. He spoke at his usual speed, enunciating each word carefully in hopes that, if nothing else, she would finally accept her bedtime.

Reagan blinked her dark eyes at him and shook her head. "No, no, no!"

He rolled his eyes. Words could not express how desperately he wanted a cigarette. Havoc stood upright, put his hands under the young Mustang's armpits, and picked her up."Yes, yes, yes!" He carried her on his hip as he headed towards her nursery. "You're naked, Reagan. Your parents will kill me if you catch a cold because you ran away after bath time."

"No bed," Reagan squirmed. "No bed."

"Yes, bed," countered Jean.

At least she was getting quieter with her protests. Havoc turned the light on in her nursery and laid her on the changing table. Reagan squirmed and whined in protest while Havoc diapered and clothed her. He shushed her before laying her in her crib. He covered her with a blanket and reached for her mobile. After winding it three times, he smiled down at the baby.

"Time for bed now, okay?"

Reagan whined, "Up!"

"No, Reagan. It's time for bed."

"Up!"

"If your parents come home and you're still awake, Uncle Havoc's going to get in trouble. You don't want that do you?"

She raised her arms, "Up!"

"Sorry kiddo. It's time for bed."

He turned his back and headed for the door, when Reagan began to whimper. He thought back to the instructions he was given. Mustang's voice filled his head:

_She might end up crying or ask you to pick her up when you try to put her to bed. She's testing you. Just let her cry it out, and walk away._

Havoc was snapped quickly out of his thoughts as Reagan began to cry. There was only one thing to do.

…

Jean Havoc sat in the corner of the nursery, rocking back and forth in a rocking chair. Reagan rested comfortably in his lap with her back leaned against his torso. She was happily sucking warm milk from her sippy cup, which he held at angle to help her drink. He had given into Reagan's request. Well, sort of. He'd decided that a bit of warm milk would allow them both what they wanted. Reagan got to be held by Havoc, and he would receive quiet when she'd fall asleep in a several minutes.

"You know Reagan, you've have it easy. All you have to do is whine or cry and people rush to give you whatever you want. You've got Mustang, well your dad-"

"Da-da!" grinned Reagan.

"Yeah, your da-da, you've got him wrapped around your little finger. I think you have your mom wrapped around your fingers too."

"Ma-ma!"

"But Hawkeye isn't really as obvious as Mustang is with it. Well, technically she's a Mustang, but we all still call her Hawkeye sometimes. It gets confusing in the office when we don't. Either way, both of your parents love you, Reagan. If your dad has his way, you'll be the daughter of the best Fuhrer this country has seen."

Havoc smoothed her hair and continued to rock back and forth. He thought back to the first time he had to babysit Reagan. Usually Hughes watched the infant, but his case workload was getting heavier and Mustang needed someone else to watch her. With Havoc being next on Mustang's list of most trusted people, he became her babysitter when Hughes was busy. Havoc remembered it taking about thirty minutes for the then seven-month-old to stop crying and adjust to her newest caretaker. He remembered taking ten minutes to change her diaper because he'd never changed one before. He remembered feeding her a bottle of warm milk and rocking her until she fell asleep.

Just as he was doing now.

"You'll have a bright future, kid." Havoc mused aloud. "Your parents will make sure of that. I'll be right beside them to help them get to the top. All of us will, especially Hughes."

Reagan pushed her sippy cup away. She let out a small yawn and rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hands.

Havoc looked down at her, "Are you done?"

The two-year-old nodded and he set the cup on a nearby table. He continued to rock her in the chair, relaxed by the motion and the fact that Reagan hadn't said 'no' in at least fifteen minutes.

"You know, kid. You're not that bad."

Reagan's eyelids grew heavy and Havoc noticed she was struggling to keep them open. Warm milk did the trick every time. Lifting the child into his arms, he adjusted her position so she could lean her head against his shoulder.

"Are you sleepy, Reagan? Are you ready for bedtime?"

"Yes," she nodded.

Havoc chuckled, "What'dya know, you _do_ know how to say 'yes'."

* * *

><p>Please review. I hope Havoc didn't seem too OOC.<p> 


	3. Chess

I'm so sorry for the long wait. I've been having problems in my personal life that, thankfully, I'm getting over. It's really good to get people out of your life that aren't honest or aren't there for you. Hopefully now my creative juices will be working like normal again.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

><p>"Rea."<p>

Her eyes lifted from the book in her lap and focused on the blonde woman in the doorway of her bedroom. Reagan motioned for Riza to come in and set her book beside her. "Hey, mom. What's going on?"

"Your father wants to see you in his study," Riza gave a soft smile. "He has the chess board set up."

"He always has it set up," reminded Reagan.

"True, but this time the timer is set and he's looking for an opponent. It's your turn."

"But mom-"

"I'm going to target practice-"

Reagan's eyes lit up. "Target practice? Can I come with you?" She wanted to go to target practice with her mother as badly as she wanted to learn alchemy from her father. However, neither adult allowed Reagan to learn their crafts so soon.

"Sweetheart, you're eleven."

"Please, mom? I have to learn how to use a gun sometime. After all, with dad shooting up the ranks and you by his side, I need to be able to protect myself. Even with hand-to-hand training, I still have several weak spots. I'm not as good as that Edward kid dad talks about. You know I'm not. Between my fighting skills and my right side…" her voice trailed off. "You and dad have done a good job keeping it between Havoc and the others but if someone dangerous gets word, I'm an easy target. If I can't use guns and dad won't even let me use fire-"

Riza touched her daughter's shoulder, "I'll consider everything you said and discuss it with your father later. Until then, I will be at target practice and you will be in the study practicing your chess skills. Okay?"

Reagan nodded, understanding of her mother's offer of possibility yet slightly deflated nonetheless.

"All right. Now, try to have fun."

Once Riza left, Reagan slowly moved to the edge of her bed. She didn't want to play chess –at least not right now. She wasn't in the right mindset to stare at a checkered board game and try to beat her father at the game he was virtually undefeated at.

"Reagan!"

The male Mustang's voice almost startled her. Reagan groaned and ran a hand through her hair in frustration, "Coming Dad!"

She walked down the hallway to her father's study. Not surprisingly, she found her dad sitting at a small table near the side of the room. In front of him was a chess board waiting for the first move. Roy had his chin atop his laced fingers while his elbows rested on the table.

"If you wanted me to play chess, why didn't you warn me when you got home?"

Roy smirked, "Because then you would be able to premeditate your moves, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, and you haven't been?"

"Are you accusing me of not playing fair?"

"No," scoffed Reagan. "I was just saying that if you think I would've premeditated my moves with prior notice, then who is to say you haven't been planning your own moves? I mean, you're the one who originally had the idea to play. Not to mention that you always seem to be five to ten steps ahead of everyone else."

"Reagan, you're wasting time. Sit down and make a move."

She sighed and took her place on the other side of the chess board. Her eyes scanned the board, quickly contemplating which pawn she would move and in which direction she would move it. Reagan moved her white pawn from E2 to E4.

"Interesting," noted Roy. "Tell me Reagan, what made you make that move with that pawn."

Reagan watched as he moved his black pawn from E7 to E5 and flinched. She hated it when he asked her questions like this while she played. It always made her second guess herself.

"Oh, I don't know Colonel. Why did you choose to make that move with that pawn?" Reagan quipped.

She swiftly moved a different pawn from F2 to F4. Roy wordlessly moved his pawn from E5 to F4, capturing her pawn. She gasped but determinedly moved her knight to F3. Roy countered by moving his pawn to from G7 to G5. Reagan stared at the board a bit longer in thought, before moving her bishop to C4.

"Nice move," Roy complemented. "However, I would be more careful if I were you."

She watched him move his pawn from G5 to G4. Taking a chance, she sacrificed her knight by moving her queen to G 1. Roy shook his head and captured her knight with a pawn.

"I've taught you how to play more carefully than this, Reagan Christine," sighed Roy. "Let's hope you can recover."

Reagan lowered her eyes to the chess board, smirked inwardly, and moved her king diagonally to F3. "I'm sorry, what were you saying about me playing more carefully?"

"Don't get too cocky, kid." He mirrored her move by moving his king to F6.

The next moves came smoothly and almost without hesitation. Reagan moved her pawn up one square to D3, while Roy moved his knight to C6. Her bishop captured his pawn at F4, while his knight moved forward again to D4.

Reagan smiled at her dad, "How am I doing?"

"I'll remind you about your cockiness," Roy warned as he watched her move her king diagonally to H5.

His dark eyes studied the chess board for a few minutes and he suppressed a smirk. His little girl wasn't doing as well as she thought. In fact, if things went according to plan, the game would be over in a few moves. Roy moved his knight to E6.

"I'm not getting cocky," Reagan shifted her bishop to E5. '_I'm just getting excited that I'll finally beat you. Your Queen or your rook will be next.'_

Roy lifted his bishop and placed it on C5, "Check."

Reagan's eyes widened. Countless thoughts ran through her head. How could she have been so stupid? She shouldn't have played so quickly. She should have listened to her father. She shouldn't have been so overconfident. Slightly panicked, Reagan moved her Queen to H1. She immediately regretted it as he moved his king to F1, a smirk on his lips.

"Checkmate."

"Dammit, I'm so stupid!"Reagan exclaimed.

"Stop it. You're not stupid. You just need to play more carefully next time." Roy explained. "I know you usually don't play that quickly or carelessly. I've taught you better than that."

She looked down in her lap, taking in her father's constructive criticism. He was right. She allowed herself to get too excited whenever it looked as if she had the upper hand. If there was anything the Colonel had taught her, it was to always play carefully and to never let your opponent know that you've got the upper hand.

"Reset the board," whispered Reagan.

"What's that?"

The right side of Reagan's lips curled upward as she looked intently at her father. "You heard me. Reset the board. I want to play again."

Roy smirked back, "That's my girl."

* * *

><p>I hope I didn't confuse anyone with all of the chess talk. Please review!<p> 


	4. Park

**Disclaimer: I only own Reagan. **

I'm really sorry for the long wait. I've had a lot of ideas for what my next chapter should be and I had a hard time choosing.

I hope Roy isn't too OOC in this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Roy sat in the park, watching as Reagan slid down a curly green slide. Riza was having a girls' day with Gracia and it was his day off. He decided it would be helpful to take Reagan off her hands and have a daddy-daughter day. It was the first day in weeks that he'd had an entire day to spend with just his daughter. Reagan's black hair hung down to the middle of her back and was half pulled into a ponytail by a green barrette. Her green shirt and white skirt had small grass stains on them. Roy had let her run in the grass and pick flowers. Roy held her sandals in his right hand. Riza didn't like it when Reagan ran outside without shoes. Roy, however, let her do it whenever his wife wasn't around to see it. He knew that feeling the dirt, grass, sand, water, or anything between her toes was currently one of Reagan's favorite things.<p>

Reagan ran across the playground, "Daddy!"

He watched the four-year-old climb up the jungle gym and stand on the platform before the monkey bars. He sat up a little straighter. Roy knew inside that Reagan wasn't big enough to successfully complete the bars. However, the Colonel in him felt it was a good idea to let her try. As long as he kept a close eye on her, what would the harm be? Reagan raised her arms above her head, staring down the bars in front of her with determination. She was going to do it.

Roy got to his feet, "Be careful, Rea!"

After a small jump, she successfully planted her grip on the first bar. Roy breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was for Reagan to get injured. Riza's rage whenever Reagan got hurt on his watch was unlike any other rage he'd experienced from her. She was usually an even tempered person, even in battle. But if Reagan so much as got a scratch or a bruise, so help the person that wasn't watching her when it happened. Most of the time, this person was Roy. He clearly remembered when Reagan was two and she managed to stick a marble up her nose. Roy hadn't noticed until she started wailing and Riza had her foot in the door. For a week, he had to sleep on the couch and ingest burnt food, while his wife and daughter had food that was cooked to perfection.

"Look, Daddy!" Reagan giggled.

She had successfully had both hands on the second bar. Roy felt his stomach twist nervously. Reagan didn't have the upper body strength to turn herself around and make it back to the safely of the platform. Likewise, he was damn sure she wouldn't let go and allow herself to fall a good three feet to the ground. The Colonel in him took over again, suppressing his fear of Reagan falling.

Roy thought about the previous year when Reagan was three. He'd taken his eyes off of her for three seconds. Reagan had been running in her socks when she slid on the hardwood floors. She landed on her hands and knees, and ended up with bruises. Riza banned him from sex for three weeks.

"Daddy!" Reagan called. "Look at me!"

Roy snapped out of his thoughts in just enough time to catch Reagan reaching for the next bar. He ran towards her. His stomach twisted into a knot as Reagan's hands slipped. What came next seemed to happen in slow motion. She hit the ground and her two front teeth dug into her bottom lip. Roy's heart pounded in his chest.

He quickly scooped Reagan up. "Reagan, sweetheart. You're okay."

Reagan sniffled, took a deep breath, and immediately began to cry.

Roy kissed her forehead and looked her over. "Oh, shh. Shh. You're okay. You're-" his eyes fell on the blood gushing from her lip, "not okay. Oh, hell! Oh, shit! Umm…don't say those words. Don't tell mommy I said those words."

"Daddy!" She wailed.

Her face turned red, her dark eyes swimming with tears. Roy cursed in his head. She was crying rather loudly and it was all he could do to stop her from screaming. With her in his arms, he ran for his car. Reagan fussed and squirmed, blood from her lip now dripping on her shirt. He quickly placed her in the backseat of his car and took a handkerchief out of his pocket. He dabbed at her bottom lip. Reagan looked down at the cloth. Noticing the color red made her more hysterical.

"No!" Reagan cried, pushing his hands away. "No!"

"Shh." Roy cooed. "You're going to be okay. Daddy's right here."

"NO! I WANT MOMMY!"

She screamed and kicked her legs at the back of the driver's seat. Roy sighed. He had to get her calm before Riza saw her. Slipping into the driver's seat, Roy drove furiously to a nearby bar. Onlookers stared at him as he took a bleeding and crying four-year-old out of his car. He lifted her into his arms, carrying her on his hip as they went inside. To anyone who didn't understand the situation, it looked like a man forcing his kid into a bar while he got his afternoon drink. The room immediately filled with loud cries upon their entrance and Roy shushed Reagan again.

An older woman rolled her eyes. "Why is it you always come to me whenever you're in trouble?"

"I'm sorry," Roy sighed. "Madame Christmas, can you help me?"

"What'd you do to her this time, Roy-boy?"

"She fell in the park."

Madame Christmas scoffed, "Looks like she did more than fall. Give her here."

Roy did as he was told and she lifted Reagan into her arms. Madame Christmas carried her to her office. Roy followed closely and shut the door behind them. She set Reagan's bottom on her desk, grabbed a dark rag, and poured whiskey on it. Madame Christmas placed the rag on Reagan's lip. Reagan screamed at the feeling of alcohol on her cut.

"Shh, kid. You're gonna be fine."

"You're giving my kid alcohol?" protested Roy.

"Unless you want me to tell Riza what happened, I suggest-"

"Fine, fine."

Madame Christmas wiped Reagan's eyes with her free hand and gave her a small smirk, "Stop crying. Between us girls, Roy-Boy's an idiot for not watching you closer."

Reagan sniffed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. Her wails had died down to soft whimpers. Roy watched Madame Christmas care for his daughter, guilt washing over him. It'd been four years since Reagan was born, and he still froze up whenever she got seriously hurt. A few tears leaked from Reagan's eyes.

"You might call your wife and explain what happened."

Roy opened his mouth to protest but received a glare from his aunt. "Fine. I'll call her in a minute. First, can I have a moment alone with my kid?"

"Sure." Madame Christmas handed him the whiskey-soaked rag. "I shouldn't be cleaning her up anyway. That's your job, Roy-Boy. I'll be out there when you need me."

She left his nephew alone with his daughter. Roy sat on the desk next to Reagan. He pressed the rag to her lip. It wasn't bleeding as much as it was earlier, but he needed to make sure it clotted before he left the bar.

Roy smoothed his daughter's hair, "Are you okay, Rea?"

Reagan shook her head.

"Does it hurt?"

"Daddy, make it stop."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn't have let you do that by yourself."

"Please, daddy, sing. It makes it stop hurting so bad."

Roy watched as his daughter lay down on the desk and rested her head on his lap. He took a breath to calm himself down. The bleeding was slowing, Reagan was doing better, and Riza wouldn't hurt him too badly. Hopefully. He held the rag to her lip with his right hand, while he ran his left through her hair. He needed to calm Reagan down and the only way he knew how to do that was to sing his signature lullaby.

"Hush little Reagan, don't say a word." Roy began. "Daddy's gonna get you a radio nerd. And if that nerd's name isn't Feury, Daddy's gonna get you a puppy that's furry. And if that puppy runs away, Daddy's gonna teach you the art of Flame."

Reagan looked up at her dad. At that moment, Roy noticed a bit of Riza in her gaze.

"And when you get really good at that, you're going to be really amazing at combat. And when you finish learning Alchemy, we're not going to send you to the military Academy. Cause we care way too much about you, to let you become a dog of the military too. Like Uncles Breda, and Falman, and Havoc, and Hughes with his annoying little love-crazed habits."

His daughter was relaxing with each line of his lullaby. He wasn't surprised. This particular lullaby did the trick every time.

Roy wiped the last of her tears and smiled down at her, "Your Daddy's a Colonel and your mom's his First Lieutenant. She protects him from doing idiot challenges when the weather's inclement."

He touched her nose and Reagan giggled. Kissing her forehead, Roy moved into the last lines of his lullaby.

"And with my men and your mom as insurers, one day I'm gonna make an excellent Fuhrer."

* * *

><p>Please Review.<p>

I know Madame Christmas is in Central, but I guess for this particular chapter Roy and Riza are in Central. That might conflict with canon timelines in the future of this story.


	5. Santa

I'm finally posting the next chapter. I'm sorry it's taken this long. I think all of you Hughes and Armstrong lovers will like it. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Laughter and conversation filled the Hughes household. Everyone Maes enjoyed the company of had gathered in his home for his annual Christmas party. Roy, Riza, and Mustang's men were invited, along with Armstrong and a few other people Maes worked with. Gracia Hughes floated around the party, chatting happily and adding more food and desserts to the buffet table when necessary.<p>

While the adults talked, the only child at the party laid on her stomach in front of the fireplace. Reagan Mustang was coloring happily in a brand new coloring book with a new big box of crayons. Every now and then when the party grew particularly loud, Reagan grew worried. After a reassuring glance from her mom, she'd relax slightly and continue coloring. It had taken Roy and Riza a year to get her to calm down and adjust in loud settings.

"Hey, Roy!" Maes wrapped his arm around the neck of his friend. "Where's my Goddaughter?"

Roy chuckled, "You gave the kid new crayons and a coloring book. She's in heaven right now."

"I think she's by the fireplace, Maes." Riza replied coolly.

"She is," Gracia agreed. "I offered her a cookie a few minutes ago."

Maes nodded and made his way to the fireplace. He quickly found Reagan humming happily to herself and coloring a blue sky. Her red and black dress with a double layer of tulle fell down to her knees, and her legs were covered by black tights. Much to her mother's chagrin, Reagan wouldn't wear the black Mary Jane's that matched...at least not for very long. Reagan bent her knees and began to kick her legs back and forth.

"Hey Reagan," piped Maes Hughes.

She looked up and smiled, "Hi, Huge!"

Reagan's ability to compensate for her hearing had gotten better now that she was five-years-old. When she couldn't hear someone approach, she had begun to notice shadows or feel movement in the floor. She had also gotten better at reading lips. Whenever people spoke to her and were just out of her hearing distance, if they were yet close enough for her to see, she could piece together what she had missed.

"Thanks so much. I love my new cwayons."

Regardless of still having a difficulties with her speech, with her parent's support, Reagan was doing fairly well.

"You're welcome, Mini Mustang. Can I have your first picture?"

Reagan nodded and flipped back two pages, tearing out a picture of a blue bird and a tree. She held it above her head, "Here ya go, Huge."

Maes took the picture and smiled. "It's gorgeous! This is going in the middle of the fridge. Hey, everyone! Everyone! I have something I need to show you all."

The party goers turned their attention to Maes, who held up the picture Reagan drew. Roy groaned slightly. Riza sighed, but couldn't help but to smile.

"My Goddaughter, who turned five this year, colored this picture for me. Reagan will be the next Michelangelo or da Vinci, I just know it! Isn't it adorable? She's excellent at coloring, isn't she?"

Reagan's cheeks turned pink as everyone nodded in agreement before turning back to their conversations. Maes picked her up and she giggled loudly. He gave her a hug and kissed her on both of her cheeks.

"Huge!" Reagan laughed.

"You're so cute, I could just eat you up!" Maes held her tight. "I love you, Reagan."

"I love you, too, Huge."

Suddenly, the door burst open. Armstrong stood before them covered in a red velvet outfit with white fleece around the cuffs of sleeves and pants. He wore a red velvet cap with a white pom-pom on the end. Around his face sat a long, white beard and a soft white mustache.

"Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas!" Armstrong chimed.

Reagan stared up at Armstrong, her eyes wide and her mouth open. She tugged eagerly on the leg of Roy's pants, "Daddy look! It's Santa! Daddy, it's Santa!"

Roy chuckled, "Well, sweetheart, why don't you go say 'hi'?"

"I'm delivering a few gifts for extra nice children this year," Armstrong smiled. "I have a special gift for a good little girl named Reagan."

Reagan gasped and hid. She peered from behind her father's leg timidly. It really was Santa. She hid again.

Riza crouched down to her daughter's level. "Come on, honey. Don't be shy. Santa's here just for you."

Before Roy could turn around and pick up his daughter, Maes scooped the younger Mustang into his arms. Reagan wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Come on, Reagan." Maes grinned. "Let's go say 'hi' to Santa!"

"Hughes! Put my kid down!" ordered Roy.

"Don't worry, Roy! I've got the camera so I'll take great pictures of her with Santa!"

Maes carried Reagan to a waiting Armstrong. His camera hung around his neck, ready to get multiple pictures of Reagan with Santa.

He set her down on Armstrong's knee, "Here you go, Santa! She's all yours."

Armstrong smiled down at Reagan from underneath his large, white, beard. "Merry Christmas, Reagan! I'm so glad to meet such a well-behaved little girl."

Reagan stared up at him in awe. Riza watched her daughter take in the appearance of Santa for the first time, thankful that Maes was taking pictures for them. Roy wrapped his arm around Riza's waist and took a sip from his champagne flute. The room was silent except for the sound of Maes's camera.

"Santa…." Reagan blinked, "is that really you?"

"Is it really me?" Armstrong let out a short but hearty laugh. "Of course it's me, Reagan. What would you like for Christmas?"

"Santa, can I ask you a question?"

"Anything you want to."

"Am I different?"

Armstrong's eyes widened at Reagan's words. He had expected something like 'why is the sky blue?' or 'how do the reindeer fly?' but definitely not anything this serious. He knew that Reagan had been teased in the past by some kids at her pre-school. Now that she was in kindergarten, she wasn't teased as much as before, but she was aware that there was something setting her apart from the other kids.

"Why do you think you're different?" Armstrong asked.

Reagan shrugged, "Some kids act mean to me 'cause my ears aren't like their ears. Am I different?"

"Of course you're different!" Armstrong held Reagan close, his eyes overflowing with tears. "But that makes you special! Everyone's different and everyone is important! The Armstrong family- I mean the Clause family has never taught their children to discriminate! It's been that way for generations! Those naughty children will get coal in their stockings and their parents would do well to teach them better! They're wrong for treating you differently! It doesn't matter that you can't hear in one ear! Your other senses are much greater than the other senses the other kids have! You're special, Reagan. Your differences make you special, but they also make you very important."

Once Armstrong let Reagan go, she kissed his nose. "Thanks, Santa."

"Oh, ho-ho! Don't thank me yet. I have a gift in here just for you."

Armstrong reached into a velvet sack and pulled out a large stuffed rabbit that was roughly the same size as she was. Its fur was a light caramel color and its ears fell past its shoulders. Reagan's eyes lit up. She immediately hugged it and admired how soft it was.

"Oh, that's perfect!" Hughes whispered to Roy. "She can have tea parties with the bunny in the playhouse I got her for Christmas!"

Roy stared at his best friend, "What the hell, Hughes? I thought you just got her the crayons and coloring book?"

"That? Psh!" He waved his hand. "That's a pre-Christmas gift. In our family, every one opens one gift before Christmas. She's going to flip when she opens the playhouse."

"Hughes!"

"Reagan," Armstrong advised, "this bunny is very special. Do you know why?"

Reagan looked from her gift to Santa, "Why?"

"This bunny has magic ears. Do you see how long they are?"

She nodded.

"That's because they help him hear very well. You can tell him everything and anything you want, and you know what?"

"What?"

"He will hear it. He can even hear what other people are saying. If you can't understand someone, this bunny can tell you what they said."

"Really?!"

Armstrong nodded. Reagan held the bunny underneath her right arm and hugged him with her left. She buried her face in his belly. While Maes's camera clicked madly, Riza walked over to her daughter.

"Santa has to go now. What do you say, Reagan?" She asked.

Reagan gave a toothy grin, "Thanks, Santa!"

"You're quite welcome," Armstrong smiled back. "Merry Christmas, Reagan."

"Merry Christmas, Santa."

* * *

><p>Please review! I hope Hughes and Armstrong weren't OOC.<p> 


	6. Nightmares

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. I only own Reagan Christine Mustang.

I apologize for the wait. I meant to update in December but a drunk driver plowed into my house the day before my birthday. My family and I had to deal with all of the repairs and contractors.

Here's the next chapter. I made it a little bit longer with some Riza fluff with Reagan and some love between Roy and Riza. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

><p>"Mommy! Daddy!"<p>

Roy's eyes shot open at the sound of his daughter's screams. As much as he loved Reagan, he really didn't want to get up. Riza rolled over and touched his shoulder.

"Your daughter wants you," she muttered.

Roy yawned, "She's your daughter right now."

"I got up last time. It's your turn. "

Roy opened his mouth to retort, when he thought he heard the sound of a gun cocking. Even though it was probably just his paranoia, he let out a sigh. "I'm getting up right now."

"Good. Rea probably just had a nightmare."

"Mommy!" Reagan screamed again. "Daddy!"

"Daddy's on his way!" Riza called.

Roy sat up and rolled his neck, immediately feeling the tension in his shoulders caused by an investigation. There was a criminal posing as an alchemist killing innocent women. He got out of bed and put on his robe.

Reagan's voice grew louder, "I want mommy!"

"Seriously?" Roy took off his robe and rubbed his neck. "Why didn't she say that sooner? I could have stayed in bed."

"Mommy's coming!" called Riza. She caught a glimpse of her husband's chest in the moonlight and smiled.

Roy got back into bed, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Riza gave him a deep kiss. "I'll go calm her down and when I get back, I'll see what I can do about that tension in your neck."

"Oh, really?"

"Mm-hmm. Just because Reagan woke us up, doesn't mean we shouldn't make good use of that time. After all, it's only midnight."

Roy raised an eyebrow, "Damn Riza, what's gotten into you?"

She gave a smirk and left the room. Riza headed down the hallway and into her daughter's room.

"Mommy!"

She found Reagan sitting upright on her bed with a lamp on. She noticed the fear in her eyes and sighed when she saw tears spill down her round cheeks. Riza sat down on Reagan's bed.

"Shh, stop crying. It's okay, mommy's here. "

Reagan rubbed her eyes, "It was scary mommy…"

Riza grabbed a hairbrush from the nightstand and patted a spot in front of her. Reagan moved to the spot and held Mr. Pookie close to her.

"It's okay. You're safe."

Undoing the braid she had styled earlier that night, Riza slowly brushed her daughter's hair. As she ran the brush through Reagan's long black hair, she reminded herself that she was in desperate need of a haircut. Reagan's shoulders relaxed after a few moments and she began to sniffle.

"Now, Reagan," began Riza, "would you like to tell me what your nightmare was about?"

Reagan shook her head, pulling Mr. Pookie closer into her body. Riza glanced at the bear in her daughter's chokehold. The poor thing had suffered damage through the years. Mr. Pookie was missing an eye, his right ear had stitching to reconnect it to his head, and there were a few colored patches on his brown fur to cover up spots where he'd ripped open. Reagan was now three years old, and she still rarely went anywhere without him. Whenever Riza, Roy, Jean, Hughes, or anyone tried to take Mr. Pookie away, she would start screaming or crying and wouldn't stop until they gave him back. Washing him was an ordeal.

Riza continued to brush her hair, "You know you can tell me anything, right Reagan?"

She nodded.

"What was your nightmare about?"

"Monsers," whispered Reagan. "Hurring me."

"Monsters were hurting you?" Riza questioned.

Reagan nodded. Her pronunciation problem with 'T's was becoming more evident.

"Monsters aren't going to get you."

"Uh-huh!" Reagan frowned. "Yes, 'hey are! 'hey came and hur' me and you and mommy-"

"Shush, now." Riza stopped brushing her hair and hugged her. "It's okay. I'm here, and daddy's in the other room. We're not going to let anything happen to you. I'll do everything humanly possible to protect you. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I love you, and that's what I do for people I love."

Reagan looked down at her bear. She furrowed her brow and raised her pinky, "Promise?"

"I promise," Riza linked her pinky with her daughter's. "I will never let anything happen to you."

She kissed her daughter's forehead and continued to brush her hair. Reagan yawned. Her eyes began to droop. She was getting tired again. Riza leaned back against the headboard, braided her hair again, and placed her hairbrush on her nightstand.

"Are you ready to go back to sleep?" Riza asked hopefully.

Reagan snuggled next to her. "Mommy, can you 'ell me a s'ory?"

"A story? Sure," Riza agreed. "Once upon a time, there was a pretty blonde princess. She wasn't like other princesses, she was a fighter."

"Did she figh' in battles?"

"Sometimes. She was strong but kind, and she was really good with weapons."

"Was she brave?"

Riza nodded, "Yes. She was very brave. The princess went on lots of journeys and had lots of battles. But the princess had a secret."

"What kinda secwet?" asked Reagan.

"She had a secret passed down from her father about a special type of magic. Many people sought this secret but it was her job to keep it safe. Her father had an apprentice who learned all of his own magic from her father."

"Did he want the magic secwet?"

"He did. And do you know what the princess did?"

"What?"

"She gave it to him."

"But it was a secwet!"

"Well, she knew the apprentice could be trusted. So, it was okay for her to share it with him. One day, the apprentice disappeared and left the princess alone. The princess wasn't happy. She left the kingdom and went looking for the apprentice. And after searching for him she finally found him."

Reagan fought to stay awake but was quickly losing. "Where was he?"

"He was in a battle," Riza answered. "But they both made it out of the battle. And then they went on to be together for a long time."

"Did they live happy ever af'er?"

Riza smiled, "Yes. They lived happily ever after."

"….Married?" mumbled Reagan.

"Mm-hmm." Riza slipped out of bed and turned the lamp off. She tucked the blankets around her daughter and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight sweetheart."

As she crept out of the room, Reagan asked one last question. "….Babies?"

"Yes, but only one. A little girl."

Reagan's breathing became deep and even when Riza left her daughter's room. She headed back to her the room she shared with her husband to find him sitting on the bed waiting for her. Riza smiled at the sight of her husband in his blue boxer briefs and shut the door behind her.

"Is she asleep?" Roy asked.

Riza nodded, walking towards him. "She's fast asleep."

"Mm, good. You still in the mood?"

She untied her robe, revealing the red negligee she'd worn to bed earlier. "What do you think?"

Roy bit his lower lip and motioned for her to come closer with his index finger. Riza obliged, placing one knee on either side of his waist. Roy braced her back with his left arm while Riza took his lips with hers.

* * *

><p>Please review and let me know what you think.<p> 


End file.
